Evolution

English Oracle II

On account of Google losing some photos in older blog posts, the Oracle has gone up market...

2011-03-29 Arbolí – Can Simiro

It’s been a couple of years since I strutted my stuff at Can Simiro, so high time for a revisit.  I’ve been pining for another dance on Esperó and Alegro Me Non Troppo, two great routes that I managed to flash after working for a while – let’s see if I remember the moves... 

Xell opened Kiffelarden 4+ then followed it with En Braulies, 5

Maurici onsighted the 5 and then the 5+ Possa ‘t La Samarra.

Well, warmed up we have a look at Esperó.  Because I already have it, I suggested Maurici should lead it – I remember the great feeling I had when I first discovered it.  No doubt about it this is a tough route, Maurici rests half way up.  There’s also a tough little move at the top of an overhanging section on the main wall that would be a pain in both our sides…

Round off the day with the 6c Allegro Ma Non Troppo.  I salvage a redpoint on this after falling on Esperó.  Grrr!

 

Great day’s climbing…

2011-03-28 La Mussara – Follet

Time to tick a few more routes, this time sector Follet and the super-polished Astarax, 5+.  This was once a nice route but unfortunately tens of thousands of climbers have shined up some of the holds to near mirror-like finish.

Then we onsight the hardest 6a I’ve ever climbed, Sara immediately to the right.  Again polished and very thin.

Struggling on a 6a that normally is no problem, we choose to leave the 6b+ to another day.  Or lifetime.  Time to head over to Proa and the classic La Primera D’Estiu, 6a+.

Plenty of hand holds but overhanging with a roof to navigate, I approach it wrong and miss another onsight.  Redpoint it next time…

Another good day.  Picasa web album here.

Photos of Diedres taken from Follet show the routes we did yesterday…

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2011-03-27 La Mussara – Diedres

Heavy rain woke me up at around 4 or 5am.  “Looks like I’m not climbing today…” I thought before nodding off again.  Maurici rang me at 11, convinced me (se seca rápido…) and I went up to Vilaplana.  We decided on Diedres just past the fire-break after Covallonga. 

Donantes De Sangre, 5+.  Sure lived up to its name – I drew blood on my thumb knuckle.  Not an easy 5+.  Then we do Desitg D’Estiu 5+.  This was quite brute strength as opposed to fine movements in the first route.  Then a monofinger 6a Chaoen Conection.  Fine, and as they say, La Mussara no regala nada.

Then most definitely the hardest 6a+ I’ve ever climbed in my life – Sis De Deu.  It’s overhanging slightly and thin thin thin.

The lads from Factor 2 arrive just before we pack up.  “Watch out for that grading!”
Picasa album here.

2011-03-24 Montsant

Totxo Frederico.  A quick warmup on Guesdelon, 5 and L’esperó, 5+ then we onsight  a short 6b – L’estreno.  Shallow single-finger pockets mean you have to get your feet placed well.  I try Frederica, 6c but couldn’t have got off the ground without a pair of hands in my back holding me to the overhang – Thanks Meli!

To the bar for a brewski and a bocata.  Maurici joins us and we head out to Totxo De La Morera.  There’s some nice easy 6s here.  Maurici opens Ferransi, 6a+, though we got confused at the topo (I’ve since edited it to the correct belay placement).  After this a nice easy La Cunillera, 6a then round off the day with La Mare De La Conilla, 5.

Nice change of rock – variety is the spice of life, as they say…

2011-03-21 Siurana

Can Marges Abaix, a quick 5+ (by mistake) to warm up on  Tahona.  I thought I was on a 6a+ Picapins, which I also got diverted on the top section – D’Oh!  Well, better luck at Can Marges Adalt, the rather nifty 6a Cos Que Cao.


OK, playtime over, now to work a little.  Marc & I have had our eyes on this good looking route just before Can Parasit.  Guidebook says it’s 6c.  There’s always plenty of chalk on it so it looks popular.

El Tiempo Se Ha Reido De Los Que No Han Venido 6c.  The first bolt’s been removed but the second is easily reached.  This route is overhanging all the way up, so you get pumped quickly. 
The crux is a long sequence of moves from the 2nd to the 3rd bolt.  There are holds but they are thin.  There’s 2 options – left-hand side, or right-hand side.  Left-hand side sequence has plenty of chalk and is the obvious choice – bigger and seemingly better holds, so I have a look over here.  I fall just at the 3rd clip but before I can get a quickdraw on there.  Thin holds.  Let’s have a look at the right hand side – it’s more direct; you’re not doing an ‘S’ shape to the 3rd clip, but the first hold is a monofinger – and only to the first knuckle, but it’s just a helper to get to the right handhold to get you up over the next step in the overhang.  It’s thin, but I get up there, and take another handhold up from where I fell to clip in.  Uff!, good but my forearms are now as tight as drums!  Progress up the route is steady, most of the time there’s good handholds, but as I say it overhangs all the time.  When I top out, I get Albert to take this photo:





With the rope hanging down, it touches the floor a good 3 meters away from the base of the rock.  Solid stuff – a great route.
We move down to Can Parasit and a great pair of 6s.  Rasputin, 6a and Ateva, 6a+.  I flash Ateva and Meli tries them both.  A half abandoned lead of the 6a+ and a 6a top-out on top rope.  Good work.
Going back up to the car park (it’s now getting COLD without sun) we stop to do Trigonometria, 6a at Can Melafots.  I open it, then have to clean it on a second ascent when Meli & Albert couldn’t stick the last crux move 1 meter away from the belay.  Time for a quick beer in Cornu…
Picasa Photo Album.

2011-03-19 Arbolí – Racó de L’Emmanuelle – Various

So cold & windy where we parked the car, we descend to the playground – and remove T-shirts!  Start off with a nice 6a – Upri-Refu.

  

Another onsight, the 25-meter Dos Pedres, 6b+.

Nice.  Now something a little longer – Taraf! 29-meter 6b, also onsighted.  An absolutely beautiful route.






















Next up the filthy Cirano De Priorat, 6b.  I couldn’t stick the beginning block move, apart from that steady going.
Last climb of the day, the excellent Matsutake, weighing in at 28-meters of 7a.  What a beauty – my first 7a lead.





Best day climbing for a long while… well done Marc & Alvaro.
120-odd photos on my Picassaweb album.

2011-03-17 Arbolí - El Cremat, Various

The ground was wet and there were some wet patches on the rock, otherwise excellent.  With sun it was hot.  Bulimia 5+, Anorexia 6a, Xicarro 6a+, Marfantes 6a+, St Canut * 6b, Marina * 6b, Mulata de Havanna 6b.

   

The Excellent St Canut.

2011-02-27 Arbolí – El Cremat

Awesome weather – more shirtless climbing, and a little sunburn too at Arboli’s south-facing El Cremat.

From left: Terra Mitica, La Poma De Newton, Marfantes, Xicarro Xarxot, Anorexia, Bulimia

Warmup on Bulimia - 5+.  Then onto some roof action, 6a Anorexia. Two 6a+ onsights, Xicarro & Marfantes, both with great roof problems.  Glad to say as well that the rock is a lot cleaner now – before there were a lot of breakages, hold and chunks falling of the face, but it’s pretty stable now. 

One drastic block power-move to nail Terra Mitica and then to warm down on some 5+s (Shanghai, Olives Follades) before we go home.  I’ve got my eye on Newton’s Apple, but at 6c+ it looks like I need to train more at the rocodrome.  Right, Meli?

Picassa web photo album.

2011-02-26 Siurana, Corral Nou

 

The mighty Siurana…

in winter…. means no T-shirt! 

First route – Els Fenicis, 6a, tough going, but onsighted.

Next route Quinta! 6a (6b in old guidebook).  It’s long, has a roof problem, but it’s nice.  Red-point it next time.

Next to mop up the previously abandoned 6a Els Fenicis.  It has a slightly overhanging reachy move early on.  I didn’t think this was a 6a move so went on to onsight the 6a+ next to it.  All the routes in this new guide are “conservative” in their grades.

Next up the awesome Faktoria 6a+ (6b in old guide).  Very pumpy with a couple of overhanging bulges to get over, this is long, sustained, scary.

Marc then onsights the humbling 6b+ Pupilas (6c).  Kudos – I try it top-roped and miss the last third because I’m pumped and exhausted.  We finish up a great day in Corral Nou Cami with a couple of crappy 6a’s- Maximal and Trinafro that aren’t worth bothering with.

Picassa photo album here.

2011-02-13 La Mussara – Lo Soterrani – El Biombo – Various

 

A quick warm-up on Lo Ticket 5+ and Lo Teka 5+

Wonderfully sunny – climbing topless, we head over to the previously un-ticked No Me Bellcostes La Cuca, 6a.  Onsighted – a beauty.

Also onsighted the slighty easier route to the right: La Tramantura 6a.  Feeling pretty pumped, I tried to onsight Elegosentrick, 6a+.  I’ll redpoint it next time, making it the 2nd or 3rd route of the day, not the last when I’m tired.  The shame of it – I abandoned it 3/4’s of the way up, got someone else to clean it for me!  (But don’t tell anyone…).  There’s a crux on a thin, bare looking slab – you have to climb up the crack on the right, step up and left handhold a pocket to clip in.

Photos on Flikr.

2011-02-12 Albarca Bouldering

After dropping some rock-shoes to be re-soled at Goma-II in Cornudella, we try out the new bouldering guide at Albarca.  First time out from pulling my muscle (right forearm).

More at https://picasaweb.google.com/allend66/AlbarcaBouldering#

2011-01-09 Vilanova de Prades - Various

Les Alzines - Canta Corbs, 5.  Quick warm up and as soon as we touch rock, it starts spitting with rain.  But this isn't England, it's Spain, so rain didn't stop play.  Then 6a+ "Hip-Hop" next to it with an overhang to get over.

Then the 1-starred "Animal", 6a+.  Brute force start and a thin lower section.  Upper section is worth the star.  Lower section is filthy.

Raco Dels Corbs - Ochi Tai-Tai, 6a+, 1 star.  Beautiful route, long, sustained with great holds all the way up.

"Lluvia y Truenos" next to it, 6a.  Unstarred.  Not bad but if there are other routes you haven't done, I'd recommend leaving this till later.

After lunch, the mighty "Hipnotizadas", 6a+, 1 star.  Brutal start, nice fluid climbing till the top.  Marc tests the 6b "Dame Tu Aire" next to it - a project for another day.